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Communications Campaign Best Practices

The Bottom Line

Communications Campaign Best Practices brings together information that can be used by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) social justice advocacy organizations to get their message out in the media. This 61-page document includes sections on setting campaign objectives, identifying a target audience, messaging and creative development, qualitative and quantitative market research, media planning, getting media coverage, the basics of media relations, integrating acts of protest, identifying effective spokespeople, setting a budget, campaign evaluation, and more.

Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project and GLAAD. January 2008. Communications Campaign Best Practices. https://www.lgbtmap.org/communications-campaign-best-practices (date of access).

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Sexual Orientation Policy Tally

The term “sexual orientation” is loosely defined as a person’s pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to people of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or more than one sex or gender. Laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation primarily protect or harm lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. That said, transgender people who are lesbian, gay or bisexual can be affected by laws that explicitly mention sexual orientation.

Gender Identity Policy Tally

“Gender identity” is a person’s deeply-felt inner sense of being male, female, or something else or in-between. “Gender expression” refers to a person’s characteristics and behaviors such as appearance, dress, mannerisms and speech patterns that can be described as masculine, feminine, or something else. Gender identity and expression are independent of sexual orientation, and transgender people may identify as heterosexual, lesbian, gay or bisexual. Laws that explicitly mention “gender identity” or “gender identity and expression” primarily protect or harm transgender people. These laws also can apply to people who are not transgender, but whose sense of gender or manner of dress does not adhere to gender stereotypes.

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